Daughter of who?
by theimperfectperfectionist
Summary: When 14 year old Isabella Ramirez's dying mother's last wish is to go to a special camp, Isabella thinks nothing of it. Until of course, she realize she's fighting for her life just to reach there. ***bad summary, sorry
1. Dying is just so much fun

Chapter 1

My name is Isabella Anna Marcia Ramirez, and I'm 14 years old.

Not that any of it matters when a five-foot-tall Minotaur who probably has got at least a hundred pounds on you is trying to get you killed.

I slash at the Minotaur and duck as he lumbers forward. "GO!" I yell to my 7-year-old-nearly-8 brother and my 11 year old sister. "I'll hold them back!"

Thresh (if you haven't figured it out yes, that's my brother) looks at me worriedly with his hazel brown eyes. "But…" He's scared for me. Who wouldn't be? Here I am, barely 14 and I'm fighting something that's just escaped the pages of my Ancient Civilization encyclopedia, Greek mythology section (sadly, yes I am a nerd, and this is why I do not have a boyfriend yet). We're at the base of the hill, trying to get to some camp I've never even heard about until my mother died and told me to come here. And, if I can't save my sister, I at least want to save Thresh. And okay, maybe that's not really kind, but my sister can really be an annoying brat sometimes.

We're nearly there. I'm desperate; Claire is getting weaker with each attack from the harpies and Thresh-well, Thresh isn't faring so well. And me? Well let's just say if this damn Minotaur doesn't kill me now a few more steps climbing up the ridiculously steep hill will.

Then I almost dance with relief; we've reached the camp. It's a few yards away; the sign bearing Greek words almost paralyze me when they shift to form the words Camp Half-Blood. Somehow, if only I could get a little closer…

Then the Minotaur head butts me. Like, really slams into my 70 pound body with his huge bulk. I just manage to stifle a scream-a scary gurgle that rises in my throat and threatens to erupt from my mouth-so I clamp my mouth shut. Almost immediately I taste blood in the side of my mouth; I've bitten my cheek. My tongue probes the area, tasting the ragged flesh and the metallic taste of blood. But soon I'm distracted when an intense pain that wasn't really noticeable before now blossoms into something that comes and goes, shooting across my gut and abdomen like white hot flames and basically just making me look like Bella in Twilight when James bit her and…. Oh wait. Back to the story.

My mouth was threatening to open and scream and make my best guy friend who's gay, Damien, look like some buff jock. I gasped. I tried to sit up, but even rolling over so that you're not face in the mud was excruciating. Then I looked at my brother's terrified face, and suddenly willpower I didn't know I possessed kept me from shrieking my eardrums off.

I knew if I screamed, my brother would just lose it. We were both each other's favourites, seeing as how Claire acted like such a brat sometimes. But if I lost it…so would my brother.

I smiled and mouthed," I'll be fine. Go."

He nods unconsciously, his worried eyes looking years older, trained on me.

Then the Minotaur bashes my chest in again and I nearly lose my grip on reality.

Finally, mustering all the strength I have, I roll under the Minotaur and stab him in the back. He dissipates into dust and I nearly do the Macarena.

From the periphery of my vision, I see Claire, fighting three harpies at once. Oh crap. Not my delicate, wispy auburn haired sister! Sure she's a brat, but she's my damn sister, and if ANYONE is killing her, it WILL be me! Magically all my tiredness disappeared and I manage to stand up, though rather wobbly. Then, ignoring every instinct in my body that's screaming at me not to, I run headfirst into the harpies, wielding only my trusty vegetable knife. Aren't I the epitome of awesome?

The harpies are taken aback, and I manage to slice and kill 2 of them while they're still off guard. The next harpy lunges for me but out of nowhere, a hoof kicks me aside. Wait. _Hoof?_ I nearly scream when this weird man appears. I almost ask, why do you have FUR? And hooves? But somehow, this seems rude.

"Come," he beckons to me and my sister.

But, I know I won't make it. It'll either be my sister or me; both us can barely walk. So I give him the go ahead.

"Go ahead. Carry my sister," I mouth weakly.

I turn, hoping to see Thresh. And there he is, silently obeying my last orders as he tries not to cry as another weird goat-man leads him to the camp. I can see a pale lanky looking guy running forward, perhaps to come and help me, I'm not sure, when I realize he's shouting something I can't hear. What now?

Then I turn around only to be met by a huge dog that sends me flying.

Well, okay, maybe huge is kind of an understatement.

I land with a painful crunch. I don't turn to look if it's just the leaves or maybe my ankle.

But I hobble up anyway. I knew without looking back my siblings still weren't safe. And, if this hellhound, _weird how the name appears in my head,_ I thought, was still here, he was a threat. A threat I was determined to eradicate.

I lunged forward, trying to slice the hell out of the well, hellhound.

_If you as so much touch my family, I SWEAR I will kill you, and slice you and blend your little pieces into oblivion, _I think furiously.

So I hack away.

But even I can tell from my hazy vision, it wont work. _I'm gonna die,_ I think. Then reality crashes in. _I failed. _

Just then, the pale faced guy arrives. I realize he's Italian. Hmm, I snort. Just like me. "Need some help?" He grins a cocky grin.

I flip him the finger. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I NEED RIGHT NOW YOU MORON?" Okay, probably not my best choice of words for someone who's going to save your life, but still. I'm pissed and exhausted and this guy still can joke?

He sighs. "Alright, alright, fine, fine. Touchy much?" He adds under his breath.

He does some complicated stuff, what exactly I'm not sure but it happened so fast I barely remember. Then my jaw drops when a wall of fire encases that… BITCH. I'm sorry, but there's really no other way to say it. Unless, of course, it's a dude.

"No way you did that," I say in a hushed whisper, which, frankly, is really surprising, cos I barely have the energy to stand up.

He turns to look at me, and his dark eyes glint. "Way."

I almost smile, until I realize there's an entire menagerie at the bottom of the hill. I only make out hooves and claws and God knows what else. It's a whole crowd barking and cawing and hissing and the sight feels me with dread when I realize those are the monsters I've been fighting. _Oh. Oh crap._

His eyes bulg the moment he sees what I'm seeing. He turns to me confused. "No way."

Then he glances at me again. "What are you waiting for? Go!" He hisses.

But I cant leave him like this. Not now, not ever. Especially since I owe him for saving my life. This is a debt I must pay. Not my sister, no one else. I hesitate and he practically shoves me to the gate entrance. But I stop. And pray.

_Oh Gods. Please don't kill him._

And what happens next shock me. Cos, there is no way in hell did I do THAT.

Below, thunderstorms and lightning bolts are striking down, conveniently zapping the baddies away. Then what follows after convinces me totally I'm seeing things. Waves appear out of nowhere, sweeping the carcasses or drowning the remainder.

Unable to do, or think of anything else, I drag the guy and myself to the gate when I'm met with awestruck gray eyes. "Help me," I whisper.

Then everything goes black.


	2. Pretty pictures are dancing in my head

Chapter 2

Arrogant ass that I am, I wont admit I'm scared. Because I have no idea where I am or what I am doing here. It's like I'm in some strange continual twilight, where time doesn't exist. The place is dark, except…there are strange bright colors flashing by me. Slowly, I recall my name. I'm hungry and greedy for more information, but the more I find out, the more I realize I don't really wanna know. It's only a while before I discern the fact that those aren't just colours; they're pictures. What pictures exactly, I have no idea. They pass by me too fast and by the time it's fast fading away, balancing on the horizon, I lose all interest. Slowly, in an hour or a thousand years- it's impossible to discern time and anything else here- I realize they aren't pictures; they're MEMORIES. **My **memories.

Unconsciously, I reach out my hand to touch those intriguing bright colours that draw me in. But at the last moment, I draw my hand back. Because I'm afraid, and I'm a huge coward. Because something about the fact that they can draw you in and suck you into some time paradox, something like a trap, scares me.

Finally, I become brave enough to reach out for a memory. Then the moment I do, my 'black little world' disappears behind me and I'm thrown forward into some vortex that makes you feel like your insides are being sucked inside out. A burst of colour appears out of nowhere, and then suddenly it's all grey.

I've arrived.

My destination is a corridor. A long, long corridor that seems to be just a grey wall stretched out for miles and miles until it disappears from sight.

The grey corridor seems ominous to me. I'm standing in front of a door marked 'Isabella, age 3.' _Isabella. _My mouth forms the word, my tongue tasting the word as it rolls off it. _Isabella._ My name, I recall.

Hesitantly, I push open the door and I'm suddenly assaulted with the smell of cookie dough and vanilla perfume. A wave of memories rush back al at once, knocking me to my knees. _Vanilla. _I take a deep breath. _Vanilla perfume._ I hover near the entrance of the doorway, still unsure if this is a trap. _Vanilla perfume…just like the one my… _Mum!

I burst in, with warning bells going off in my head making it spin. I ignored it tho. I concentrate on one simple fact that has brought me to a state of borderline deliriousness : my mother was here!

I leaned in, inhaling the scent as I stood on my tiptoes with my head thrust forward. I was assailed by this scent, the very memory of my mother. I stuck out my tongue and sighed as I 'tasted' it. I could almost feel my mother's very presence here, I could, I could, I could…. Then I stopped.

Standing in front of me was 3 year old Isabella.

3 year old Isabella's .

Pretty girl was looking at Isabella. Isabella like pretty girl.

Isabella wave hand, but pretty girl just stand there. Pretty girl just stare at Isabella. Pretty girl, rude. Pretty girl no _mammi_ teach ?

Isabella want call _mammi._ _Mammi_ can teach pretty girl. _Mammi_ can protect Isabella if pretty girl stranger.

"_Mammi!"_ Isabella shout very very loud. _Mammi _always say Isabella can shout very, very loud.

._Mammi _come. _Mammi _look tired but _mammi_ also smell nice.

"_Mammi! Mammi_, got pretty girl there!" Isabella point where pretty girl stand with brown spoon.

_Mammi _laugh. Isabella like sound of _mammi _laugh. _Mammi _squat and look at Isabella.

"Bella, there's no pretty girl there."

Present age Isabella's P.O.V again

I froze. Couldn't my dear, sweet mother see me? I began to panic. What was happening?

Then I calmed down when I realize that somehow, only 'I' can see myself. Logic, duh.

Although, a situation whereby you are actually seeing your dead mother talking to a 3 year old version of you, probably should be defying all logic.

"Bye," I whisper to my mum and plant a kiss on her forehead, and then before I could change my mind about leaving her with my 3 year old self here, I decide to walk around the house a little bit.

I nearly immediately encounter the kitchen, seeing as its right smack in the middle of this curious yellow apartment we're living in that I have no memory of. The smell of chocolate chip cookies being baked assails me and overwhelms all my senses; it takes a while for me to return to… present time. Wherever or whenever it was.

I stare hungrily at the cookies for awhile, but eventually manage to tear my eyes away when a sound distracts me.

Crying. It doesn't sound like my cry, and besides. It's coming from another room. How queer.

Then something clicks. _Claire! _ If I'm 3, Claire should be born by now, but still a newborn baby. I rush to the nursery where she's sleeping.

There she is! I let a small smile ease up on my face. She looks so much adorable now that she can't talk, and is sleeping. There's a down of soft red-gold hair on the crown of her head, and even now, her splatter of freckles across the nose is noticeable. Of all of us, Claire looks the most French, or Italian of us. You can tell by her skin, and her eyes.

I cross over to the cot in the room, and stare at her peaceful face. Fingers of sunlight prod the baby awake. I wonder what made her cry just now. I look at her green eyes, similar to mine although I have strange gold flecks half the time. Oh, and mine have the weird ability to change colour. Like, seriously. Don't ask.

I plant a kiss on my sister's forehead. Somehow, she senses my presence and I see a flash of recognition in her eyes. Ruffling her hair, I walk away.

And I stop.

In the middle of the living room, is Zeus.

I recognize him enough from years of reading about Greek gods and goddesses. His facing my mother. They seem to be arguing about something.

"Lucille! Be rational, please. You can't possibly think that by moving around _she_ will be protected."

The blush on my mother's cheeks is quite lovely. She raises her chin defiantly, looking into Zeus's hard-set eyes. "Well, yes actually, I do intend do just that."

Zeus sighs. "Lucille, please. Listen to me. She'll be protected, but only until she's 10. But even so, her scent is quite difficult not to mistake. And, her double blood…"

_Double blood? _What the hell was this dude talking about? It was apparent the 'she' mentioned here was me. Yet. I couldn't stop thinking about what his words meant. Then Zeus stiffened.

And he turned around, and glared directly at me.

"Someone's here. I can feel their presence. Shh, Lucille."

My mother immediately stiffens and clamps her mouth shut, cradling me, well, 3 year old me anyway, protectively in her arms.

I start backing away. Oh no. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Zeus raises his arm. "Begone!" He commands me in a voice that shakes the heavens.

That's when I go under again.


	3. I meet Goat Man

Chapter 3

Light. Bright light. Bright, blinding light. Too much light!

I sit up. Light is streaming in everywhere. Next to me are beds, one after another, all empty. Then a piercing pain stabs through me again and I'm forced to lie down.

"Rest first, child. You have had a long ordeal, best be if you rest first."

I turn around to see the speaker… and scream.

Where was my knife? Where were my siblings? More importantly, where am I? I need my knife, _pronto! _Before this monster kills me or something!

My hands flail around for my trusty vegetable knife. Hey, don't laugh. You'd be surprised at what it can do, or rather, kill.

"Child, calm down. _I _am not a monster. I am, in fact, a centaur. And, to answer your questions…well, stop thrashing around first. Perhaps you can answer them yourself."

I stop, and slowly turn to face the speaker.

The word centaur clicks in my brain. _Centaur! _Of course! Immediately I start blushing. How could I have ever thought that he was a monster? Looking back, I almost want to start laughing. Of course he was a centaur, why didn't I see that? After all, monsters don't have kind deep set eyes or a pot belly. _Sheesh, Isabella_, I thought. Then I realize I've spoken my questions out loud and a blush formulates on my cheeks.

"Well... I think... I'm in some kind of in-infirmary or hospital or s-s-something… And ... I-I-I-I don't know…" I stammer.

The centaur smiles kindly at me then suddenly he's in like some sort of wheelchair. _Wheelchair? _I thought. Where were his legs? Then it crossed my mind that sounds kind of rude.

"Well, you see, Isabella, you're, well… you're a demi-"

The door bursts open and the girl I first saw, the one with the grey eyes, comes in. She stares at me. "Chiron! She's awake?"

"Well, yes Annabeth. I was just explainin-"

The door opens again and a guy and the weird-goat man that helped my brother come in.

"Ah Percy! Grover! I assume you've heard the news-"

Then the door opens AGAIN and the Italian guy that helped me comes in. His eyes widen at the sight of me.

Chiron or whoever the centaur's name is, sighs. I can tell he's out of patience now. He catches me looking at him and I give him a small smile. I can tell by his expression he wants to bolt the door already; I want to agree. Honestly, doesn't anyone lock the door around here?

But the next two people who come in make me grin and sit up (painfully) and shout," Thresh! Claire!"

My siblings rushed to me and for a moment all I could see was Claire's red-gold hair and smell Thresh's musky sweat. Gross, but the fact that was familiar made me love it more. They let go and the infirmary came into sight again.

"Well, as I was saying… Isabella, my dear, how do I put this… You're a demi-"

"DEMI LOVATO?" I shrieked, then sat back down again. Oops.

I looked over to the weird-goat man, Italian Guy, Annabeth and Dude I Don't Know Yet. Dude I Don't Know Yet and Annabeth were laughing; weird-goat man was chuckling, and Italian Guy was standing there with a blank expression on his face.

I turned back to Chiron, my blush still not going away. "Sorry," I mumbled.

He smirks-wait, do centaurs smirk, or was it my imagination? - and says, "Never mind, child." Then he continues.

"Isabella, my dear, what you know of the world will change entirely. But first … Tell me, of what your ordeal was. Perhaps, you could tell me of the 'monsters' you encountered."

I bite my lip. Am I going crazy? "We fought hellhounds and harpies and weird thingies with different legs and-and-and," I blurt out and quickly cover my face.

"Empousai," he nodded and gestured for me to continue.

"Well... See, before she died, Mum… she told us to come here. She wouldn't tell us why, or how. She just gave us the location. And all of us- Thresh, me, Claire-have different dads. That's all I know. And she never told us who our fathers were because she always s-said…" I started choking on my words, knowing it wouldn't be long before tears spilled," Th-that... 'Knowledge is dangerous and I-Igno-no-norance is b-bliss."

Then I burst into tears. Because I knew how she died, not because of the supposed cancer, and it was all my fault.

It had been a cold November morning and me and my mum were on the way home from the movies. It was a special thing for us to be together-usually I had to share her with Thresh or Claire-but this time she had wanted to watch a movie, with _moi. (_Yes, that is basically the extent of my French vocabulary.)

The snow was coming down lightly, and the cold breeze was making my teeth chatter. I remember pulling my pink beanie down to cover my ears. My mother was shivering beside me; I remember her pulling her green coat around her to keep the cold out.

We were walking down this deserted row of shops; they were clearly abandoned and half of the shops had pain that was peeling. Then, my mother stopped.

"Oh no," I heard her mutter under her breath.

She pulled me on the arm, tugging at me panickedly. "Isabella. Do what I tell you too, okay honey? Listen to me dear. Don't look there. Okay? Then, I want you to run as fast as you can. Just run straight home. Don't look back, okay. Forget about your _mammi. _Just go."

I felt my eyes stinging a little. _Don't cry, Isabella, don't cry! _I ordered myself. I never called mum _mammi _unless it was a serious matter or something of the sort. I bit my lip…and I nodded.

Then, we both ran as fast as our legs could carry us. _Oh god, please please please protect my mother. She doesn't deserve to die!_ That was all I could think while the cold night November air stung my cheeks, my forehead, my face. _Home, home. _Let us get home safe and uninjured, I prayed again and again. To whom I was praying, I was unsure. Yet that was all I could think of as feet pounded on the cement pavement behind me. _Home._ I took a sharp turn, hoping to mislead our enemy or whoever it was my mother had told me to run from. Then I gasped.

It was a dead end.

I turned back almost immediately, but it was too late. I crashed into my mother and we fell to the cold gravel floor. I gasped, trying to get some air, and slowly rolled my mother's body off me. I looked ahead, not wanting to see my attacker's or mugger's face.

And froze.

_Those aren't human legs! _I almost cried out.

Slowly, I look up at my attacker's face. And scream.

"Please. Please, please, leave her alone. Take me instead! Ta-"

My mother's scream was interrupted when her body caught on fire. Until today, I cannot and will never be able to forget the elements of the scene: the hideous face with weird legs, the cold breeze blowing, the smell of something disgusting hanging in the air between them and last but not least, my mother's bloodcurdling scream.

"Go! Go!" My mother hisses at me desperately, her hand pushing me.

I stumble forward and knock Weird Legs to the ground. She, or he, I can't tell, snarls at me and bares its teeth. I scamper and stand up, running as fast as I can even though all the wind has been knocked out of my lungs. I manage to round a corner and hide behind a crate, still wheezing. I put my head between my legs, and feel better immediately. It's clear I only have a single intention in my mind: To somehow trick Weird Legs and get back to my mother.

Weird Legs rounds the corner and stops. I stiffen and try to stop breathing. The amount of noise lessens considerably. Still, I don't dare breathe.

Weird Legs stiffens and stares at the spot I'm hiding in. I tense up. Crap.

Weird Legs sniffs the air then she growls. GROWLS. Yes, you read right. What creature growls really? Then the unthinkable happens. She moves forward, step by step. I try not to stare at her feet. In the end, I lose it.

And then I kick Weird Legs with the crate, knocking her to her knees. Good. I prise a wooden plank from a crate. Grabbing it, I lift my 'weapon'. Then I stab Weird Legs with it. "This. Is. For. My. Mother." I stab Weird Legs with each syllable. _Fuck you, _I think. _Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you!_

When Weird Legs dissipates into some sort of golden dust, I stifle a scream. And somehow I know this is something I will never be able to recount to somebody else, and that it'll stay with me for the rest of my life. Then I run back to my mother.

She's gasping and her body is bobbing up and down slightly. She's out of breath. Somehow the green flames are gone and I know this will be a slow painful death. And somehow, we manage it back home.

As she lay down on the bed, she beckons me to her. "Yes mum?" I sit by the bed, on the floor as I stroke her hair that's tinged with white. I frown.

"Isabella. My dear, sweet Isabella. Oh Bella," she hmms for a minute and I lean my head on the bed, sighing contentedly and breathing in her vanilla perfume. "Bella, dear. Listen to me. Promise you'll do what I say. Okay?"

"Yes _mammi_," I whisper absentmindedly, my fingers tracing the planes of my mother's pale face. After the 'green flames' incident, I was worried. Very, very worried.

"Isabella, honey... I want you to promise me something. When... _if _I die, I want you to go somewhere. Immediately. Don't tell David (David was my step-dad),and bring your siblings along, okay darling? And promise you'll protect them, no matter what," my mother mumbled, her voice weak, yet strained.

I look worriedly at her. Then I sigh and promise.

"Goodnight _mammi_, I love you," I say, standing up and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight Bella. I love you too," I hear my mother whisper into her pillow.

Then I slip out of the room, not knowing those were my mother's last words.

Almost immediately, I start crying. Chiron tries to calm me, but to no avail. "She didn't die of c-cancer, like everyone said," I sob out. "Weird Legs- I mean Empousai killed her."

Thresh hugs me and everyone is pretty nice- they let me cry for the next 10 minutes. Finally, when I'm done, Chiron clears his throat. "Isabella...did... did your mother ever give you any clue about who your fathers were?"

I look at him albeit wearily and sigh. "No… I've been trying to find out ever since I was 10, but… I don't know..." I say miserably.

Goat man smiles at me. "That's okay," he says. "Maybe your godly parent will claim you tonight, at dinner, when you make an offering. Besides. It'll be fun to guess who your parents are, right?" He beams at me.

"I guess," I mumble. Then I sit up straighter albeit even more painfully. "Wait. What did u say about making a-a-a…offering?" My voice rises up a few octaves.

"Never mind Isa, it's just throwing food into the fire. It's fun!" my 8 year old brother exclaimed, jumping up an down on my bed.

I grin. "Haha, okay Thresh. But you gotta eat your vegetables, alright?"

Thresh puts and the rest of us- Claire, Chiron, Annabeth, Italian Guy, Goat Man and Dude I Don't Know- laugh.

"So. Alright, who do you think is my dad?"


	4. I challenge prince of the ocean

Chapter 4

**Grover's P.O.V**

I give a non-committal shrug and look at the others. Percy shakes his head and Nico, well, Nico just stares at her. Annabeth is deep in thought however. You can see it in her stormy grey eyes. It's not surprising; she _is _a daughter of Athena.

Then Thresh, Isabella's adorable little brother, pipes up, "Maybe she's Hesof-sof-sofer-"

I chuckle. "No, I don't think you guys have the same father, remember?"

"Oh." His face puckers in concentration.

"Perhaps, if Isabella here is strong enough, Percy and Grover can take her on a tour of a camp and maybe discuss her heritage whilst doing so?" Chiron's deep voice booms.

Isabella nods her head and tries to get up so fast she crashes to the floor. I bleat and quickly rush over to her to help her up. She looks up and her face colours. "Oh. T-t-thank you," she mumbles to me.

Standing up is even harder for her seeing as she's swathed in a cocoon of blankets. I don't even realise I'm chewing them until Percy gives an exasperated sigh, "Grover!'

I flush; I'm supposed to be on this strict diet which only Percy and Annabeth know about.

Isabella laughs. It's a beautiful laugh really; it reminds me of tinkling wind charms and spring air and honeysuckle and oh, honeysuckle… I drift off into a daydream about honeysuckle and enchiladas.

"Um, so, are we going?" I glare at Nico for interrupting my daydream.

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a fit will you?" Isabella grumbles form her swath of blankets and I laugh, helping her up.

"Perhaps, you might want to change first," Annabeth suggests.

I look at Isabella. Annabeth's right, she does need to change first. Her black skinny jeans are really all ripped up at the sides and the vest she is wearing is all in tatters. Her shirts are frayed and torn at the seams; her hair still smells of mud and Zeus know what else. Just then, the sky rumbled in dissent.

Strike that, even Zeus doesn't know.

Just then, one Hephaestus kid comes over. "Thresh, Dan wants you in the forges now," he calls.

"What?" I swear Isabella's voice goes up a few octaves.

Thresh flushes. "Isa, I've been claimed. My daddy is Hephaestus!" He grins happily.

"Oh, oh kay..." She mumbles under her breath and watches as her brother walks away.

An awkward pause. Then, "why does Thresh call you Isa?" Nico smirks.

Isabella flushes. "When…when Thresh was little, he couldn't say my full name...So, erm, he called me Isa…and the name kinda stuck. Erm." I swear Nico is enjoying her squirm.

We all stand there awkwardly, until Annabeth suggests that Isabella clean up and change first in the girls' bathroom, and then we could meet back here in thirty minutes. "Alright?"

We nod and a scowl appears and disappears as quickly as it came on the prince of death's pale face. We watch Annabeth push, or rather, shove Isabella into the girls' toilets and then the three of us make our way to the Poseidon cabin.

The moment Percy locks the door, he rounds on Nico and asks," So Nico. How you'd like the new girl huh?"

The prince of death's pale face actually colours. Wow. Then he scowls. "She's okay I guess. Too bad she's a freaking daughter of Aphrodite." He says grudgingly but adds the last part when Percy raises his eyebrows and smiles coyly.

"Hmm, Aphrodite huh?"

Nico just redefined the colour red by this point. "Well, what else do you think? I doubt she's a freaking daughter of Hecate or something."

I laugh and bleat. "Hoo boy. You're in a lot of trouble."

Nico slams the door on his way out.

**Annabeth's P.O.V**

I hand Isabella an orange Camp half-Blood shirt and the backpack she was carrying when she first arrived at Camp. She looks at the shirt with fascinated disgust. "Do I really have to wear this?" she asks. I nod and shrug my shoulders. "I guess so, for now at least." She accepts it with a resigned sigh and ducks into the shower. For awhile, there's nothing but the sound of water droplets pattering against the tiled floor, the warm illusion of steam wrapping around me, and sweet-smelling strawberry soap and something that smells like coconut and vanilla. I inhale it all, breathing in all of it. I lean back against the wall, the cold wall leeching the warmth from my body. Slowly I slip into a peaceful and sweet daydream when Thalia and Luke and I were all still best friends and innocent. Innocent of the world of its terrors, void of the dark days to come. I sigh and breathing in the sharp scent of mint toothpaste brings me back to the present. Smiling a sad smile, I walk towards Isabella and her dripping wet hair.

The orange Camp Half-Blood tee shirt is too big for her, too big. At least 3 sizes. Then she turns abruptly to me. "Do I…do I really have to wear all of this? The entire shirt?"

"Huh?"

"Well, can I like… alter it? You know, so it's not so big?"

"Well, I guess you can do that, but how would you do-"

Isabella doesn't wait for me to finish. There's a loud ripping sound and I stare at her, aghast. She rips off the entire midriff section so that a grey camisole, which is showing, is covering her stomach. Then she rips off the top part so that the huge shoulders of the shirt don't hang off hers. Her shoulders are now bare, except for the two thin grey straps of her camisole. As if for an afterthought, she rips off a quarter of the sleeves so its not so big, and using the two pieces of orange fabric, she ties a wristband sort of thingy around her wrists. She turns around for me. "There, how do I look?"

"Um. You...you look great!" The words stumble out of my mouth before I can catch myself.

"You sure?" She asks hesitantly.

"Yeah, I do." I nod my head vigorously. Ow.

"Well, okay then, maybe we should…" Isabella falters and stops.

"Erm, yeah maybe…" Awkward much? Annabeth, you idiot, you're supposed to make the girl feel comfortable! I mentally shout and berate myself.

We troop out of the toilet and I try to think of something to say. Think, Annabeth, think! You're a daughter of Athena, this is what you're supposed to do!

In the end a comfortable blanket of silence settles between us. Well, maybe this is just what both of us are suited for, I think. Then Isabella asks, "Annabeth, what if... I … I don't get claimed? Or whatever you guys call it here."

There's a pause. Then, "That's okay Isabella. I mean, really, there's a very small chance you won't get claimed…" NOT, I think silently in my head.

"Oh, okay." Silence.

Then, finally, the guys arrive.

**Isabella's P.O.V**

There's a rustle of leaves, then the Italian Guy steps out scowling, followed by Goat Man and Dude I Don't Know. Oh, he's so hot, I think and sigh. Then Italian Guy catches me staring at him and I blush furiously. Fuck. He looks at me weirdly, then I self-consciously look down at the toes of sneakers.

"Hey guys," Dude I Don't Know says.

"Hi," I mumble grudgingly, looking up. I realize he's kind of handsome, what with his dark hair in waves and sea green eyes.

"Hey," Annabeth stands up and kisses him on the cheek. They're together? Aw, how sweet, I think.

Then Dude I Don't Know turns to me. "Erm, is that even allowed?" He says pointedly. I look down at my ripped and newly-altered shirt, shrug, and reply, "Who cares?"

He grins. "Come on, we still have lots to show you."

I grin back and fall into step with Annabeth, then whisper furiously to her, "WHAT'S HIS NAME?"

Annabeth turns to me and laughs. "Percy. Didn't he tell you?" She says, stage-whispering.

"No, that's why I had to ask you so I don't look like an idiot." I hiss back.

She laughs. "Okay, so do you know the others?"

"Um, you mean Goat Man and Italian Dude? Nope."

She waggles her brows and laughs. "That's Grover, and Nico. Can't believe you don't even know-"

"Oh shut UP," I tell her.

Annabeth just laughs.

Let me tell you, the camp is just so COOL. They've got lava walls you have to climb and archery ranges and all sorts of stuff. I was practically foaming at the mouth when Percy said I couldn't try them out yet. "Oh come on!" I whined.

"Stop whining."

"I did not."

"Did too." 

"Did not."

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Phleffff!" Percy stuck out his tongue at me. I stuck out my tongue back.

"Stop- stop- stop it!" Annabeth tried to wedge herself between us but Percy and me were trying to see who could stick out their tongue the longest without getting tired or thirsty or anything.

"Too bad Annabeth, we're already in the tournaments, one of us HAS to be the Ultimate-Tongue-Sticker-Out champion of the world," I tried to say but it ended out coming something like this, " Phoo ad hefefef, wyu oheady in her honamen, hun hof uff hath to be phe Ufaffimate-Toungue-Phika-Fout phampion hof her fold."

Grover and Nico were beside themselves with laughing.

In the end we both gave up. It was tiring trying to explain with your tongue sticking out; believe me, I should know.

Finally we ended up at some place they called Zeus's Fist. It was just a bunch of rocks but it was really cool.

"Okay, so dinner is at... 7. And now, its…1. Okay, so what do you guys want to do?" Percy asked us, checking his watch.

"Nap?" Nico offered, and I giggled.

"I'm supposed to meet Juniper," Grover whined.

"Okay, so that leaves the 4 of us. Hey, maybe we could do play water polo or something?"

"No no no no no no no no no! Are you kidding? I'm going to get creamed!" Nico cried out.

Percy laughed. "What, you a coward?"

Nico scowled. "Look, it'll be fair. Me and Annabeth on one side, you and Isabella on the other."

I was confused. Sure, me and Nico were younger, but Percy was kind of skinny. "I don't get it. Why are we gonna be creamed?"

"He's the son of Poseidon, remember? Poseidon equals water. He's practically prince of the ocean," Nico explained to me patiently.

"Oh," I felt my face heating up.

"I bet we can take you on anyway," I heard myself say. Nico looks at me, stricken. Oh crap. _Isabella what the FUCK did you just say?_

"Oh its ON," Percy replied grinning.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Luckily I had the sense enough to say, "But I don't really have anything to wear, you know, for swimming."

"Never mind, you should be able to borrow one from the Aphrodite cabin," Annabeth says. _Traitor!_


	5. My instruments of torture are makeup

Chapter 5

"Here's the Aphrodite cabin. Have fun!" _Zoom._

_Oh, fuck you Annabeth, _I think as I stare at the cabin looming above me and Annabeth's footsteps disappear behind me. I gulp and step onto the porch. I have NO idea what to expect.

_Tuk, tuk, tuk, _I knock on the door nervously. I gulp and chant to myself in my head reminders to breathe. The way Nico and Percy had reacted after Annabeth's statement made me worried. I knew that Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty but that was probably the extent of my knowledge.

The door opened and a pretty brunette stepped out. "Yes?"

Her tone was so superior I immediately hated her. Who the hell did she think she was?

"Sorry, I just... I just wanted… erm, Annabeth told me… to...she said… I need to borrow a swimsuit," I blurted out. Damn this bitch. For some reason I was stammering in front of her.

She stared coldly at me. "Come in," she said icily.

_Bitch, bitch, bitch, _I thought furiously to her back as I followed her into the cabin.

The cabin has about 6 bunks of 3, each all neatly made with a box of Kleenex by the side. _What the fucking hell, _I think. _Neat freaks. _

A few girls- all beautiful, obviously- are sitting and lounging around – most probably gossiping. A brown-haired blue-eyed girl comes up to me. "Hi! I'm Aria! Who are you?" She says, bouncing up and down.

"Um, hi. Er, I'm Isabella... I… I just arrived here," I stammer, taken aback.

"Cool!" she squeals. "Do you know who your godly parent is? Why are you here?"

"Um, I ..."

"Aria! Leave the poor girl alone!"

I look around and the speaker is an eighteen or nineteen year old blonde. She stands up and smiles at me. "Hi, I'm Brittany. Just ignore Aria; she's always like that. So, what are you here for?"

"Oh, erm… Well, see, Annabeth told me to go here... She… ," I blurt out and say miserably.

Her blue eyes widen considerably, and then she laughs. Loudly. "Well… if we can't make you win, at least we can make you look good. Aria! Help me over here!"

After bundling me into a chair, they start arguing. "I think she'll look good with blue…"

"No! Green!"

"Please, can't you all open your eyes? Her skin tone is obviously orange."

"Hayley, don't kid yourself. She needs PINK."

"Elena, really. I think she needs something...fierce. You can't expect her to be feminine. She needs to show those boys what girls are made of. How about red?"

"How about this?" Brittany produces a nice green two piece with a flourish.

"NO! For Aphrodite's sakes, NO! It's not girly enough! She needs this!" A raven-haired beauty argues and holds up a really skimpy blue two piece.

"Um… I rather a one piece," I clear my throat. "No offence or anything."

Brittany rolls her eyes. "Just go and change into this already."

"But- I- I can't wear a two piece-"

"GO."

I sigh heavily and go into the bathroom. Slowly stripping myself of the camp shirt and jeans and other things, I change into the green two piece. They'll see soon enough why.

The moment I stepped out there were gasps from everyone. "Wow, Isabella, you look amazing! And we haven't even put on your makeup yet! Okay, now do a little twirl-"

I finally conquer the courage to look them in the eye. _Go ahead, stare at me, I know I'm a freak, _I think. Tears are gathering at the edge of my eyes. I can feel all their eyes running over my long, ugly, purple-looking scar that runs over the entire width of my waist, going over my torso twice.

Then Brittany finally dares to speak. "What happened?" She asks, her whisper almost inaudible.

Reluctantly, I explain. Of how I encountered the hellhound, and how there were too many, and in my attempt to get my siblings to safety, I became vulnerable. Vulnerable enough to let a hellhound scratch me while harpies tried to swipe and claw at me. Of how the pain was nearly unbearable. And my sibling's countless attempts to help treat my pain with all sorts of creams they would steal from various pharmacies.

"I'm sorry," Brittany says, and before I know it, EVERYONE(well, except the bitch) is hugging me. Oh my gods. Do they really act like this all the time? Oh gods no. I hate mushy stuff.

Slowly I back away. "Um, that's okay, never mind guys. Thanks!" I shout cheerily and try to duck away.

"Where are you going? We haven't done your makeup yet!"

Uh-oh.

Before I know it, I'm being bundled (again) and stuck in those kind of chairs you see at high-class offices. "Wheee!" I cheer as I spin around in it. When I'm done turning, I end up facing a redhead who's glaring at me. What? Don't these people know how to have fun?

I look down meekly and stop. Then suddenly everyone is holding and brandishing a weapon of torture that terrifies and paralyzes me: makeup. But, no, they have to put a layer of junk on my face first. Then rinse, and add a layer of crap. After that, they put shit open my eyes and do _something _with my brows and lashes. I fight the urge to scream and yell and bolt from the room. Then they tickle my cheeks with something hairy and daub more stuff on my face. Oh my god. I feel sick right now. Then finally they hold up something even an airhead like me could recognize: a lip-gloss wand. "Eeee," Brittany instructs me. I do so and comply, stretching my lips into a grimace. Brittany applies the wand to my chapped lips; Then Brittany and her team of torturers stand back and inspect me. They smile and praise each other; all the while, I sit here, panicking.

"Alright, you're done," they say in unrehearsed unison.

Slowly I stand up and warily turn around to face their HUGE f feet wide mirror. I swear, its like being in a huge dressing room. To be truthful, I see no difference. But when I look closer, and gasp. Because there, standing before me in the mirror, is an unforgettable beauty who looks NOTHING like me. Her skin is all smooth and perfectly olive, her eyes are startling bright peepers which look so smoky and sexy and her lips are full and glossy. Her hair is soft; the brown-gold tresses cascading down her back. Before, I can make this beauty turn back into me though, Brittany calls me and hands me a plain white nearly see-through shirt and denim shorts.

"You don't think you're going to the beach clad in that do you?" she asks mischieviously.

I grin.

Maybe makeup isn't so bad, I think. Then, _Nah. _**(A/N: ;D)**

**:D Review, review, review! And thank you to the awesome Abigail Thalia La Rue and Daniella -daughter of Apollo for reviewing! :D**


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